5. SEBASTES. 103 



length of the head. Snout subelongated, vertex with prominent 

 spines. Tongue free anteriorly ; the upper maxillary reaches beyond 

 the vertical from the centre of the eye. The second and thuxl dorsal 

 spines are elongate, and one-half the length of the head, even longer 

 than the second of the anal ; generally none of the rays of the pec- 

 toral branched ; coracoid with a single spine. Red, ■ndth small 

 brownish spots ; pharynx colourless. 

 Sea of Madeira ; Canary Islands. 



a. Adult : stuffed. Santa Cruz. (Teneiiffe.) 



b. Adult : skin. Santa Cruz. (Teneriffe.) 



c. Adult. Madeira. From the Haslar Collection. 



d. Adult : skeleton. Madeira. Presented by Sir A. Smith. 



e. Adult. Old Collection, as ScorjJcena chorista. 



Sl-eletoii. — All the bones of the skull are thin and transparent. 

 The upper maxillary is styUfoiTu in its anterior half, and spatuliform 

 in its posterior ; the intermaxillary has a broad plate-like process on 

 the descending branch, which is much longer than the posterior pro- 

 cesses. There is a wide free space between the dentary and articular 

 bones of the mandibula, and the fonner has an ovate shallow cavity 

 at its outer side ; pores and a muciferous channel are scarcely visible. 

 The toothed portion of the palatine bones is situated in a horizontal 

 direction, the posterior part being slightly bent downwards. The 

 praeopcrculum is arched, and furnished -n-ith a distinct muciferous 

 channel ; two triangidar spines, pointing downwards, are found at 

 the lower Umb, wliilst a stronger and rather larger one is situated 

 opposite to the articulation of the infraorbital with the praeopcrculum ; 

 a very small sj^ine is situated between the latter spine and the next 

 inferior one. The opercidum forms an irregular pentagon, with three 

 sUght radiating ridges, visible interiorly and exteriorly ; the sub- 

 operculum and interoperculum are oblong, the former 'with an an- 

 terior process directed upwards, for the junction ^\-ith the operculum. 



The turbinal bones are lost ; the prseorbital has two spines at the 

 inferior margin, pointing backwards ; the infraorbital has a longi- 

 tudinal ridge, with three small spines ; the posterior portion of the 

 infraorbital ring is veiy naiTow. The ethmoid is intercalated be- 

 tween the piincipal frontal bones, which diverge anteriorly, and is 

 armed Avith a pair of small spines, pointing forwards. The anterior 

 fi'ontals form the anterior part of the orbit, and terminate superiorly 

 in a strong spine. The principal frontal bones are rather narrow 

 and elongate, anteriorly transformed into a muciferous channel, each 

 with a small slit between the orbits ; their orbital margin is armed 

 with thi-ee spines. The crown and occipital region are flat on each 

 side, with a slight ridge, each of which has two depressed spines. 

 The basal portion of the braia-capsule has an ovate-elongate pro- 

 tuberance on each side ; the basisjihenoid, anteriorly very narrow 

 and without ridge, has a small opening behind the occipital joint. 



There are ten abdominal and tburteen caudal vertebne, the length 

 of the former portion of the vertebral column being to that of the 

 latter as 1:1-2. The third neural is the strongest, supporting the 



